Portugal overcome Netherlands 1-0 on way to quarter-final

Portugal beat the Netherlands 1-0 in a hot-tempered round of sixteen battle in Nuremburg, Sunday.

Russian referee Valentin Ivanov warmed up for an active evening of arm-raising with yellow cards in the second and seventh minutes. Mark Van Bommel and Khalid Boulahrouz had crashed two heavy fouls on Christiano Ronaldo; the second left a stud mark on his right thigh.

Gottlieb Daimler Stadion, Stuttgart.

At the end of 96 minutes the yellow card count was 16 and the sides had nine men each. The four players sent off was a total that set a new Fifa World Cup record. This came as the 2006 tournament had already seen two games with three red cards. All four red cards were shown for two cautionary acts.

Following the second Boulahrouz foul Ronaldo received treatment and would be substituted before half time.

However; Ronaldo was involved in a wonderful move that lead to Portugal's game-winner. On 22 minutes he fed Deco, Deco crossed low to Pauleta; Pauleta laid it off, and Maniche side-stepped a defender to hammer past Edwin Van Der Sar from 12 yards. Maniche was spared his second yellow card, and subsequent, expulsion when the referee decided not to execute the FIFA guidelines for leaving the pitch during celebrations of a goal.

Portugal also scored first blood when Ivanov's red card was brandished at Costinha for stopping a pass with his arm, after he escaped a second yellow card just minutes earlier after his second rough tackle of the day.

Though Portugal looked dangerous on the break the game was dominated by the Netherlands who had over 60 per cent of ball possession.

In the second period there was less flow and more stoppages. The main incidents were violent and many times players surrounded the referee adding to the disruption.

On 59 minutes there was shoving after Portugal was awarded a free kick in shooting range of Edwin Van Der Sar's goal. In the scrum Luis Figo gave a headbutt to Van Bommel but was only shown a yellow card. Three minutes later the same Figo appeared to walk into an upper arm from Boularouz and Boularouz was sent off.

Deco was next to go with two cards in quick succession. Ricardo Carvalho made a lunge to block one of the Netherlands 20 shots at goal. The Portuguese didn't stop for treatment, so the referee blew his whistle so the defender could get treatment.

Netherlands bucked the informal tradition of giving the ball back and Deco's response was a lunge at John Heitinga. This incident kicked off another melee in which Wesley Sneijder was booked when he pushed Petit to the floor.

Five minutes after his first caution Deco was sent to the touchline for holding on to the ball when the Dutch players wanted to resume playing.

Twice up by an extra man the Netherlands did not beat the Portuguese goal keeper Ricardo. They went close. Three minutes after half time an unmarked Philip Cocu struck the crossbar in the rebound from six yards. After Deco's dismissal Dirk Kuyt ran through the central-defense but was foiled by a challenge from the goalkeeper.

In the final of the six minutes of added time Portugal worked another counter attack and Giovanni Van Bronckhorst got tangled with Simao's legs. Ivanov produced his fourth red card.

The victory for Portugal put them on a head-to-head with England in the quarter-finals, but at a cost. Luiz Felipe Scolari's side would miss Deco and Costinha with suspensions for that match while Ronaldo would be an injury worry.